Lane College, located in Jackson, was established in 1882. Founded by the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America, it was originally called the "C.M.E. High School." It retains its ties to the Methodist Episcopal Church and, today, offers a four-year liberal arts curriculum and awards Bachelor of Art and Bachelor of Science degrees. Lane's average enrollment is 2,200, with a close-to-equal proportion of men to women. In 2007, Lane College established the Lane College Evening Accelerated Program (LEAP), which offers affordable night courses for working adults.
Le Moyne-Owen College is located in Memphis. Thanks to a gift of $20,000 from Pennsylvania doctor and abolitionist Francis J. LeMoyne, the American Missionary Society established the LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School in 1871 for black students. In 1968, LeMoyne merged with Owen Junior College to become LeMoyne-Owen College. Today, the college is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Tennessee Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention. A four-year institution, it offers bachelors degrees in the liberal arts, sciences and business. Average enrollment is approximately 1,000, with a 60/40 ratio of women to men.
As a young traveler in difficulty in 1826, Samuel Meharry was helped by the kindness of a rural black family in Tennessee and vowed to "do something for your race when I can." In 1876, historically black Central Tennessee College wished to offer medical training to black students to serve the community. When the project came to his attention, Samuel and his brothers contributed $30,000. Under the auspices of the Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist Church, a medical department was established. In 1915, this medical department became a separate entity known as Meharry Medical College. Today, the college has a School of Medicine, School of Dentistry and a School of Graduate Studies and Research.
Knoxville College is a four-year liberal arts institution. Founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church of North America as a school for training black teachers, it soon expanded into a college. Today, its emphasis is on providing a broad education in liberal arts, along with work experience, to prepare students for their professional lives. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies with a choice of concentration in Humanities, Business and Computer Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, or Social and Behavioral Sciences. Its Work Program is a vital component of students' education and is required for every student. The first year, students receive work assignments on campus. In their second year, they are placed in local, nonprofit agencies and organizations. In their third year, they receive internships in local businesses and, in their fourth year, they are placed in agencies or companies related to their fields of study.